2025 has been the breakthrough year for AI-driven robotics. Manufacturing costs dropped 40% from 2023 to 2024 — from $50,000-$250,000 to $30,000-$150,000 per unit — far faster than the expected 15-20% annual decline.
The Big Three:
Tesla Optimus:
- Scaling from 5,000 robots in 2025 to 50,000 in 2026
- Production line capacity targeting 1 million units
- Target price: $20,000-$30,000 — far below competitors
- Elon Musk: “Has the potential to be the biggest product of all time” — potentially 80% of Tesla’s future value
Figure AI:
- Raised $1 billion in funding (Microsoft, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Jeff Bezos)
- Figure 02 integrates vision-language-action AI models
Boston Dynamics Atlas:
- Commercial launch planned for 2026-2028
- Estimated pricing: $140,000-$150,000
If 2024 was speculation and 2025 demonstration, 2026 becomes the beginning of scaled deployment.
This is part of a comprehensive analysis of 20+ AI business trends for 2026. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.









